HSJ50 2006 supplement - Health Service Journal

ED MAYNARD, RALPH HODGSONNIGEL EDWARDSDIRECTOR OF POLICY, NHS CONFEDERATION41Not every influentialperson is a figurehead;some, like NigelEdwards, haveestablished themselves through thesheer quality of their contribution todebate. Mr Edwards’ job is toestablish the organisation’s positionon NHS policy in relation to members’best interests — as such, his ideasbear considerable weight.On Commissioning a Patient-ledTIM KELSEYCHIEF EXECUTIVE, DOCTOR FOSTER42The former SundayTimes news editor cofoundedhealthcareinformation providerDr Foster in 2000 – the idea originallyborn out of his own frustration as amember of the public when trying tocompare performance betweenhospitals. Since then he has proved atireless networker, co-opting some ofthe most influential figures inhealthcare in both social and formal43General HealthcareGroup chief executiveIan Smith hassucceeded insignificantly raising his profile inrecent months.His name appeared on the shortlistfor the job of NHS chief executive andalthough he was beaten by DavidNicholson (3), he is also largelycredited with steering General44Before his move to theAudit Commission inSeptember 2003 (afterhitting a glass ceilingin the DoH, some would speculate),Andy McKeon had been DoH directorof policy, responsible for the reformagenda, where his influence was seenacross target-setting (the old starratings,when the DoH was in charge),payment by results, patient choice and45Achieving a totalsmoking ban in publicplaces is perhaps themost notableachievement of Kevin Barron, whohas been Labour MP for Rother Valleysince 1983. He was dismayed when thehealth secretary accepted a bill withexemptions, but he reacted by tablingan amendment in January calling fora total ban, and removing exclusionsNHS his comment to HSJ thatforbidding PCTs from providingservices was ‘intellectuallyincoherent’ gave voice to what wasthen largely a silent protest againstthe most vilified policy announcementof recent years. It went on to lead theintroduction to the health selectcommittee’s damning report.Mr Edwards has also been criticalof the view that competitionnecessarily creates more innovativesettings. He was close to healthsecretary Alan Milburn in thecompany’s early days and can countSouth Central SHA chief executiveMark Britnell (20) among Dr Foster’snon-executives.The company was viewed withsome suspicion in the early days, andthe robustness of its data in its GoodHospital Guides was criticised.However, the quality of its products isnow generally well accepted.IAN SMITHCHIEF EXECUTIVE, GENERAL HEALTHCARE GROUPHealthcare through choppy watersand into a successful merger withSouth Africa-based private healthcareprovider Netcare.Mr Smith was originally appointedchief executive of General HealthcareGroup in September 2004 and sincethen has led a number of successfulbids into the DoH’s independenttreatment centre programme.Most recently he has helped toANDY McKEONMANAGING DIRECTOR OF HEALTH, AUDIT COMMISSIONintroducing private-sector provision.Audit Commission reports attractconsiderable political and mediainterest: they are seen as a very honestbroker. Recently, Mr McKeonintervened in the debate over deficits,arguing that the DoH should returnpart of the £504m 2005-06 overspenddeducted under resource accountingand budgeting (RAB). He compared itto ‘trying to treat a business as anKEVIN BARRONCHAIR, COMMONS HEALTH SELECT COMMITTEEfor private members’ clubs and pubsthat do not serve food. And he wasable to persuade the prime minister togive all Labour MPs a free vote.When a 200 majority voted for acomprehensive ban, Mr Barronclaimed it as an important stepchangein public health. He is alsoproud of his involvement in thepassage of a government bill to bantobacco advertising and promotion,practice. Indeed, his most consistenttheme is that a collection of policieswhich of themselves may be sensibleand workable have failed to cometogether to form a compellingnarrative. An infectiously enthusiasticconference speaker, Mr Edwards’intellectual curiosity is a huge serviceto the NHS, but a more ‘political’ rolemight be too much of a bind.● As a judge Nigel Edwards wasexcluded from deciding his inclusion.The company’s joint venture withthe DoH Information Centre forhealth and social care last year, toform Dr Foster Intelligence, marked amajor step forward for the company.It now has access to a powerful set ofpublic sector data which it hopes topackage for purchase by trusts. Thedeal was controversial enough toprompt a National Audit Officeinvestigation, expected to report laterthis year.secure preferred bidder status on twoof the seven national ITC diagnosticsschemes for Netcare and InHealth.At the time of the merger withNetcare, Mr Smith said: ‘We are clearthat we have a significant role to playin supporting the government’spatient choice and quality agendas atvalue-for-money prices to the taxpayer.’Before joining the group, he waschief executive of logistics firm Exel.individual with a credit card bill’, andwarned of RAB’s ‘double whammy’effect, where obligation to generate acompensatory surplus in the mediumtermeffectively means losing moneyfrom budgets twice over. Mr McKeonsuggested that the system should bephased out this financial year, anddeductions repaid. It is an argumentmany would agree with, but will bedifficult to win.after he promoted a private member’sbill in 1993.Mr Barron was made chair of thehealth select committee after the 2005general election. His first major reportwas a blistering attack on primarycare trust configuration, whichcriticised the government for the lackof consultation. The committee alsolaunched an inquiry into the cause ofthe NHS’s financial troubles this spring.14 Health Service Journal supplement 14 September 2006 hsj.co.uk